CITAD trains Kano teachers on indigenous tree planting to boost climate resilience
Kola Oyelere Kano
The Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) has trained secondary school teachers in Kano State on indigenous tree planting as part of efforts to strengthen climate resilience, conserve biodiversity and promote environmental sustainability in schools.
The one-day workshop, titled “Greening Our Future: Indigenous Tree Planting for Climate Resilience and Biodiversity,” brought together teachers from selected secondary schools under the Kano State Secondary Schools Management Board (KSSMB) and the Science and Technical Schools Board (STSB).
Speaking at the opening of the workshop, CITAD Executive Director, Engr. Yunusa Zakari Ya’u, said the initiative was designed to encourage a culture of tree planting among students by equipping teachers with the knowledge and skills to lead environmental activities in their schools.
He described teachers as ambassadors who would guide students in preserving the environment through practical tree-planting initiatives.
According to Ya’u, the training focused on building participants’ capacity to establish, plant, maintain and monitor indigenous trees while promoting climate resilience, biodiversity conservation, wind erosion control and environmental stewardship.
“By building the capacity of teachers, we are investing in a new generation that understands the importance of protecting the environment and taking practical action against climate change,” he said.
He noted that schools remain strategic platforms for promoting environmental sustainability, expressing confidence that participants would replicate the knowledge by establishing tree-planting programmes in their respective schools.
CITAD’s Senior Programmes Officer for Technology and Climate Change, Sani Khamees, said Kano State continues to face serious environmental challenges, including climate change, deforestation, desertification, biodiversity loss and wind erosion.
He noted that the effects of climate change are becoming increasingly evident through rising temperatures, land degradation and the loss of biodiversity.
Khamees stressed that addressing these challenges requires collective action, adding that planting indigenous trees remains one of the most practical and sustainable solutions available.
Delivering a presentation, Professor Ibrahim Lawan of the Department of Biological Sciences, Bayero University, Kano, called for a shift in public attitudes towards environmental protection.
He urged Nigerians to view the environment as an interconnected system that requires a change in thinking and sustained commitment.
Speaking on “The Need for Exhibitions as a Veritable Tool for Sensitisation,” Lawan emphasised that awareness creation and continuous public engagement are essential for promoting environmental responsibility.
Also speaking, Ummy H. U. Adamu of the Kano State Ministry of Water Resources, Environment and Climate Change highlighted the ecological, environmental and socio-economic importance of indigenous tree species.
She said indigenous trees are vital for ecosystem restoration, biodiversity conservation and improved livelihoods, stressing that planting appropriate species in suitable locations is key to long-term environmental sustainability.
Adamu also led a practical session on tree-planting techniques, covering site selection, planting methods, watering, mulching and early maintenance to improve the survival rate of planted trees.
The workshop featured technical sessions on climate change, biodiversity conservation and sustainable tree planting.
According to CITAD, the training forms part of its broader environmental sustainability programme aimed at strengthening community resilience to climate change through education, capacity building and the promotion of indigenous tree species across Kano State.